Child sexual abuse material; modifying certain term. Effective date.
SB 53 updates Oklahoma's legal definitions related to child sexual abuse material by clarifying terms like "child sexual abuse material," "distribute," and "reasonable age verification methods" across multiple statutes. It specifies that "reasonable age verification" includes using digitized ID cards, third-party services, or other commercially reasonable methods to confirm users are 18+ before accessing certain online content. The bill modifies existing definitions in statutes covering possession, distribution, and child abuse offenses but does not create new criminal penalties or change sentencing. It directly affects online platforms, service providers, and law enforcement by standardizing how these terms are applied in Oklahoma law. The bill was signed into law by the governor on May 3, 2025.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Feb 3, 2025
Signed May 5, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
Floor (House)
→
Floor (Senate)
·
5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was moved from the House to the Senate floor version with several substantive changes to definitions and formatting. The Senate version reorganized the definitions section, added new definitions for 'Child sexual exploitation' and 'Transactional data', and modified the definition of 'News-gathering organization' to be more specific about employee documentation requirements. The penalty sections for child abuse were also reformatted with clearer subsections.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on child sexual abuse material, but the Senate version expanded certain definitions to include more specific language about commercial entities and age verification methods.
DEFINITION
Added new definition for 'Child sexual exploitation' referencing Section 843.5 of Title 21
Expanded 'Commercial entity' definition to include sole proprietorship and other legally recognized entities
Modified 'News-gathering organization' definition to require specific documentation of employment for employees
Added new definition for 'Transactional data' covering records from mortgage, education, and employment entities
Reorganized penalty sections into clearer A, B, and C subsections for different types of child abuse violations
Floor votes · Senate Mar 10, 2025 · House Apr 29, 2025
How they voted
47–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 49
Mar 10, 2025
D
Democratic9
100% Yea
R
Republican40
95% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
23
Key actions
7
Committee
6
May 5, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 05/03/2025
upper
Apr 29, 2025
Committee
Referred for enrollment
upper
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 83 Nays: 0
lower
Apr 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
CR; Do Pass Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Policy recommendation to the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight committee; Do Pass Criminal Judiciary
lower
Apr 1, 2025
Committee
Referred to Criminal Judiciary
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Introduced
First Reading
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Engrossed to House
upper
Mar 10, 2025
Committee
Referred for engrossment
upper
Mar 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Measure passed: Ayes: 45 Nays: 0
upper
Feb 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported Do Pass Public Safety committee; CR filed
upper
Feb 3, 2025
Introduced
First Reading
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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